In a few countries, citizenship is up for sale.
For the uber wealthy, a brand new passport can be obtained after a large investment is made followed by some residency requirements. It’s an option that is availed of by millionaires and most notably in the past week, diamond merchant, Mehul Choksi, who has found refuge on the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda.
A few countries allow immediate citizenship, but by and large it takes a significant investment coupled with a long residency to eventually become a naturalised citizen. The majority of the countries offering citizenship are wealthy in their own right. Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia and a slew of Caribbean nations are the exceptions.
Listed below are the countries that offer citizenship at a price. Some are stringent, but Carribean countries like the one Choksi has picked make it relatively easy for person to attain a passport.
| Country | Minimum Investment | Residency Requirements | Citizenship Qualifying Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | 250,00 US dollars | 5 days within a 5-year period | Immediate |
| Australia | 5 million Australian dollars | 40 days/year | 5 years |
| Bulgaria | 500,000 Euros | No | 5 years |
| Canada | 800,000 Canadian dollars | 730 days within a 5-year period | 3 years |
| Canada: Prince Edward Island | 350,000 Canadian dollars | 730 days within a 5-year period | 3 years |
| Canada: Quebec | 500,000 Canadian dollars | 730 days within a 5-year period | 3 years |
| Cyprus | 2.5 million euros | None (under revision) | Immediate |
| Dominica | 100,000 US dollars | None | Immediate |
| France | 10 million euros | None | 5 years |
| Greece | 250,000 euros | None | 7 years |
| Grenada | 250,000 US dollars | None | Immediate |
| Hungary | 250,000 euros | None | 8 years |
| Ireland | 500,000 euros | None | N.A |
| Latvia | 35,000 euros | None | 10 years |
| Malta | 1.5 million euros | 6 months | 1 year |
| New Zealand | 1.5 million New Zealand dollars | 146 days/year | 5 years |
| Portugal | 500,000 euros | 7 days/year | 6 years |
| Singapore | 2.5 million Sing dollars | None | 2 years |
| Spain | 500,000 euros | None | 10 years |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 250,000 US dollars | None | Immediate |
| Switzerland | 250,000 Swiss francs | None | 12 years |
| United Kingdom | 1 million pounds | 185 days/year | 6 years |
| United States | 500,000 US dollars | 180 days/year | 7 years |
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